ŽRK Podravka Koprivnica

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ŽRK Podravka
Full name ŽRK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica
Abbreviation (s) Podravka
Founded 1957
Club colors blue
Hall Fran Galović High School
Places 2,000 seats
president Saša Romac
Trainer Zlatan Saračević
league 1st League Croatia
Women's Regional Handball League
2007/2008
rank 1st place
Website www.rk-podravka.hr
home
Away
Greatest successes
National 15 × Croatian champions
14 × Croatian cup winners
2 × Yugoslav champions
International 1 × Champions League winner
1 × EHF Supercup winner

ŽRK Podravka Vegeta is a women's handball club from the northern Croatian town of Koprivnica . The abbreviation “ŽRK” stands for “Ženski Rukometni Klub”, in German: women's handball club, “Podravka” is the main sponsor and “Vegeta” is a spice product of the main sponsor. Previous names of the association are Ivo Marinković Koprivnica , RK Partizan , RK Podravka Koprivnica

history

After the foundation under the name “Ivo Marinković Koprivnica” in 1955, the first game in Koprivnica against Grafičar Bjelovar was played on December 4th, 1955, Koprivnica won 7: 4. The first official game took place on April 1, 1956 against Slavija Čakovec and ended with 2: 3. It should be noted that large field handball was still played back then. From this year onwards, they played in a regional league in the Varaždin district , in the same year the club was renamed “RK Partizan” in September. The coach was Vladimir Ščrbek.

In 1958 a new playing field was opened in Koprivnica, using red ash as a surface. 1960 / 61-1962 / 63 was RK Partizan amateur champion in Croatia. On June 27, 1964, he was promoted to the first Yugoslav handball league. In September of the same year the association changed its name to “RK Podravka Koprivnica”, the main sponsor was the food chain “Podravka” from Koprivnica.

On August 22, 1965 the newly built playing field (surface: asphalt) with stadium lighting was opened. In 1965/66 they became Yugoslav champions. The following year (1966/67) this success was repeated without dropping a point at home. As a result, the city became known throughout the country, and it was also called “the city of soup and handball” (Podravka produces ready-made soups on a large scale).

Good placements followed in the other seasons, before coach Josip Samaržija was retired in 1971 after ten successful years. In the following year they rose to the second division. There they finished third in the first season. In 1974/75 he was promoted to the first division again.

On May 31, 1975 a new school sports hall was opened in Koprivnica, it will also be the new home of the handball club. In 1976 the relegation to the second division followed. Only after three years was it possible to celebrate the rise again. After relegated in 1981/82, it took almost a decade before they rose again to the top division in 1989/90. Also this year, after 18 years, the master coach Josip Samaržija returned to the club. His assistant coach was Mato Matijević. The season was also the last in the Yugoslav league, after the collapse of the Balkan state, games were only resumed in 1992 due to the civil war. This season, the first in the independent Croatian league, they finished third.

Then the second glamorous period of the club began. From the 1992/93 season to the 2002/03 season they were both champions and cup winners. In the 2003/04 season they were cup winners, 2004/05 champions and cup winners again. In 1996 the club also won the European Champion Clubs' Cup and the European Supercup. In the Croatian league you played since independence (1991-2000) 217 ​​league games, of which you won 204, four games ended in a draw and nine games you lost.

From the new 2008/09 season, a new regional handball league ( Women's Regional Handball League ) started with eight teams from the wider Adriatic.

Seniors

The senior team was made up of former players. Every year in the town of Umag in Istria there is a tournament in which senior teams compete, the "Senior Cup". Seniors from “Podravka” have been participating in this competition since 1976. The competition did not take place during the civil war, and it was only resumed in Croatia in 1993. The winner was in 1976 and 1977, and in Croatia in 1994–1998. In 1999 they finished second and received the coat of arms of the city of Umag as the most successful senior team in the last 30 years as a special award.

successes

Fans

The fan club is called "Red Roosters" and was founded on March 9, 2002 in connection with the RK Podravka association.

Hall

The Koprivnica sports hall is located at Trg Slobode 7 (Freedom Square No. 7). The official capacity is 2200 spectators. The grandstand is on one side of the hall. In addition to the handball club, the hall is also used by the secondary school and other sports clubs from Koprivnica.

Web links